


Boredom shouldn't really be a reason

by Port_in_a_Storm



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: And Robert is a horny bastard, Attempt at humour, Everyone is bored, F/M, Injection of the feels at the end, M/M, Parties gone wrong, Victoria gets mad, but who can blame her?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2016-11-20
Packaged: 2018-09-01 02:11:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8603143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Port_in_a_Storm/pseuds/Port_in_a_Storm
Summary: Vic decides to hold a moving out party, before she and Adam move into Butler's. But not everyone is as enthused about it as she is. Shenanigans ensue.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys. First off, thank you so so much for all the feedback and kudos for 19/11/14. I was overwhelmed by it! 
> 
> This fic is based on a tumblr prompt (a rather long one so I don't post it here!). Everything that was mentioned in the prompt I tried to include in this fic. Happy reading!

Apparently, moving out parties was the latest thing. That was the only reason Robert could think of as to why Vic had invited him and Aaron to Keeper’s for said moving out party. ‘It’ll be fun,’ she said. She was milling about in the kitchen of the pub, buzzing around preparing salads, and so she missed Robert’s dubious eye roll. ‘I’m gonna invite Leyla and Pete; Marlon said he’ll bring Carly; David and Tracy are gonna be there – did you know that he’s got a sale on olives, by the way?’

‘Olives?’

‘Yeah, I’m goin’ for a Mediterranean style night.’

‘Right. And olives are the way to go with that, are they?’

Vic turned around and pointed her wooden spoon at him. ‘Don’t start, alright? This is somethin’ to take Moira and Adam’s minds off… well, off everything. So, yeah, just don’t start.’

Robert immediately felt bad. Despite everything, he did have a heart, and he knew the pain of losing a sibling: he had never told Vic just how much he missed her when he was sent away. And that was just being away from her; losing her for good… the idea was too painful to even comprehend. So he closed his mouth and held his hands up in surrender. Vic nodded. 

‘Besides,’ she said, ‘you have to be on your best behaviour: I’ve invited Chas and Paddy as well.’

‘You what?’ Robert yelped. ‘Vic, no! Chas tolerates me at best, and Paddy hates me!’

‘All the more reason for you all to be in the same place together,’ Vic said, her best winning, 100-watt smile in place. ‘You may all get along.’

‘Yeah, months of sitting with Chas at tea hasn’t quite achieved that yet. And Paddy… well, he’s even stopped talking to Aaron so much because of me, so that’ll tell you how much he hates me.’

Vic clicked her tongue. ‘So this will be you makin’ the effort,’ she said. ‘Seriously, Rob, it’ll be good. And I really want to do this, and I want you and Aaron there.’

In the end, he was powerless to resist her puppy dog eyes. If Vic ever had a baby, it would instantly have Robert wrapped around its little finger if it inherited its mother’s eyes. He sighed and closed his eyes as if in regret. ‘What time do you want us there?’

She’d deny it later of course, but Robert knew that Victoria squealed.

****

When they arrived at the door of Keepers, Robert and Aaron eyed each other. They didn’t need words to communicate any more, and that certainly applied for the dubious look which passed between them. 

‘You know this is a terrible idea, don’t you?’ Robert had said to Aaron earlier when they were in the bathroom, Aaron fixing his hair and Robert brushing his teeth. ‘I mean, it’s going to be a disaster.’

‘You don’t need to tell me,’ Aaron had said. Then he sighed. ‘Look, just stay out of Mum and Paddy’s way and we’ll all be fine.’

Robert had raised his eyebrows at his boyfriend, but ultimately agreed. If he stayed out of their way then at least there wouldn’t be any aggro. God, it was like being at Vic’s over New Years last year and having to be ushered room to room so that he and Andy didn’t cause a scene.

Chas was the one that knocked on the door when neither of the boys seemed willing to. Vic was grinning and glowing when she answered the door. ‘You’re here!’ she said, and Robert immediately felt bad. He needed, now more than ever, to show Vic that he wasn’t going anywhere. He stepped around Chas and gave his sister a hug.

‘‘Course we are. Wouldn’t miss this,’ he said. He ignored the look both Vic and Aaron threw at him. They knew him, and they knew all too well when bullshit was pouring from his mouth. 

Chas gave Vic a bottle of wine when they all trooped into the house. Adam waved Aaron through into the kitchen, and Robert followed. 

‘Alright, lads,’ Adam greeted. ‘Beer?’

Aaron raised an eyebrow. ‘You’re startin’ early aren’t you? Party’s not even begun properly yet.’

‘Yeah well, you’re gonna need it.’ 

‘What—’

But Aaron was interrupted by an extremely high pitched screech, followed by Tracy launching herself into the kitchen. The three boys winced, and Robert spluttered when the young woman suddenly attached herself to Aaron. ‘You didn’t tell us Robert and Aaron were comin’!’ she giggled. Aaron threw both Robert and Adam helpless looks. His friend tried to hide a grin (unsuccessfully), and it was only when Robert appeared ready to wade in and detach the woman that David smiled sheepishly and came to the young man’s rescue.

‘Sorry, lads,’ he said. He pulled at Tracy’s arm and she looked disgruntled and confused for a moment. ‘C’mon, let’s go see if Leyla’s here yet. Sorry again.’

He took his very tipsy wife into the living room, and Aaron let out his breath in a gush. ‘Flippin’ hell, she’s started early as well.’

Adam managed to control his grin. ‘Yeah, well, like I said: you need to drink a bit to get through this.’

‘Can’t be that bad,’ Aaron said, at the same time that Robert growled ‘Watch yourself, Barton.’ Aaron frowned at his boyfriend. He’d been complaining nonstop about how boring this party would be, and how he’d rather be anywhere else but there tonight. To his credit, Adam just rolled his eyes.

‘Vic has this whole idea that she wants to go elegant, you know? Look what she bought from Leeds today.’ He opened a cupboard and showed them a bottle of red wine. ‘Chateau bat—bata—I can’t even fuckin’ say it, man!’

‘Chateau Batailley Pauillac,’ Robert said. He took the bottle from him and inspected it, turning it this way and that. ‘It’s a good wine. Didn’t think it was Vic’s taste though.’

‘Neither did I. She bought three bottles of the stuff! We’re not that kind of people, y’know?’

‘You’re not, but this one clearly is,’ Aaron grinned, gesturing at his boyfriend. He stroked his arm to show he didn’t mean anything by it. 

Adam shook his head. ‘Yeah, well, I don’t think she counted on Tracy finding the beers in the fridge and drinking both hers and David’s share. Nothin’ elegant about _that_.’ They all looked out into the small living room where Tracy had draped herself over Paddy who looked like he didn’t quite know what to do with himself.

‘Shit, Paddy’s here,’ Robert hissed.

‘Just avoid him, like we agreed.’

‘You two still not getting on?’ Adam asked. ‘He has to get over it sometime, lads. Might as well be tonight, eh?’

Robert and Aaron looked at each other. Robert and Paddy shared a history that no one but the three of them and Chas were privy to. There was no chance of them getting along, even if Robert were to almost die for Aaron, he doubted it would endear him to the man. ‘Yeah, maybe not,’ Robert said. ‘Tonight is Vic’s night; she doesn’t need us makin’ a scene.’

Aaron kissed Robert’s shoulder gently in thanks. He wished that Paddy would try and move on, the way that his Mum had, but the loathing ran deep in Paddy’s mind. Not that he could blame him, but he wanted his father figure to accept Robert one of these days. There was another knock at the door, and Vic (doing her utmost to ignore Tracy) went to answer it. She greeted Moira, Pete and Leyla with a smile and a hug, and then wandered into the kitchen.

‘Right, you lot, get out there and mingle,’ she said. ‘I didn’t invite you so you three could hang out in the kitchen. Adam, your Mum’s here, so go out and see her. Rob and Aaron, just go and talk to people. You two have been in your own little bubble for too long.’ She gave them a dish each of olives and hummus, and another platter of crackers and dip. ‘I’ve got lamb and that in the oven, but they can start on this for now.’

‘Didn’t realise we were bein’ your skivvies tonight,’ Robert said. He grinned when Vic shoved him through the kitchen doorway. 

****

As per their instructions, Robert and Aaron mingled. Aaron was grateful to Vic for inviting people that wouldn’t start any scenes with either him or Robert apart from his Mum and Paddy of course, but it seemed as though Chas had the same idea as him, and was keeping Paddy well away from the boys. Robert was making stilted conversation with Carly, whilst Aaron listened to Marlon talk about the food that Vic had laid on. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pete, Leyla and Adam making conversation, with Moira occasionally inserting a word or two here and there. He felt terrible for avoiding his best mate’s Mum, but he honestly couldn’t think of anything to say which hadn’t been said before. The usual ‘I’m sorry’s and ‘I hope it’ll get better’s just didn’t cut it for someone like Moira who Aaron used to be so close to.

Robert’s phone pinged with a new message, and he frowned. Who would be texting his boyfriend at this time of the evening? His immediate thought was Liv, and he checked his own phone for a message. 'Who’s that?’ he asked. 

Instead of answering, Robert showed Aaron the message.

_Vic: I need you in the kitchen right now! Everything’s going wrong!_

Aaron raised an eyebrow. ‘And she had to text you that did she?’

Robert was about to answer him when another message came through. _Now Robert!_

He gulped and, not daring to cross his sister when she was in a temper, made a beeline for the small kitchen.

‘Vic?’ he called. 

‘Thank god, took you long enough!’

‘I was literally five seconds!’

Vic waved her arms. ‘Whatever, look, taste this, will you?’ she shoved a spoon into Robert’s mouth without waiting for a response. He licked his lips and nodded.

‘It’s good. What is it?’

‘This new… dip… sauce… thing. I dunno. It’s supposed to go with the lamb. Which… don’t even get me started on,’ she said.

‘Didn’t intend to.’

‘What’s everyone doing out there? Are they all havin’ a good time?’

Robert thought about the almost silent room, the people occasionally going for a bite to eat, and the awkward conversations between couples (and singles). He could tell her the truth, but… ‘Yeah. It’s goin’ great, Vic.’ She breathed slowly, and wiped her forehead with her arm. ‘Look, just calm down alright. No one’s expectin’ this to be somethin’ out of Come Dine With Me. No one’s gonna rate you.’

‘Shut up, Rob!’ she snapped. ‘Just… go back out if you’re not gonna say anythin’ helpful.’

‘Hey, I am being helpful!’

‘No you’re not, you’re just bein’ snarky about it!’

‘Vic, you’re gonna stress yourself out! Just chill out, yeah? Have a drink.’

‘No, I need to get this done. Send Adam in, will you? You go back out and talk to people. Have you spoken to Paddy yet?’

‘No, we—’

‘Well why not?! Seriously, Rob, just go and talk to him! Can’t be that bad, can it?’ Instead of escalating the situation even more, Robert just smiled and nodded, and walked away. He passed Adam on the way back to Aaron and told him Vic needed him in the kitchen, tagging a little ‘Good luck’ onto it. He took some pleasure in knowing that Adam would get it in the neck even more than him if he tried to cheer Victoria up.

He wound his arm around Aaron’s waist and dropped a kiss onto the top of his head. Marlon and Carly had gravitated to the sofa and were talking to David and Tracy, so Robert and Aaron took a moment to enjoy their solitude.

‘Everything alright?’ Aaron asked.

Robert nodded. ‘Yeah. She’s gettin’ a bit stressed in there. Adam’s with her now.’ He kissed Aaron gently, and frowned when Aaron pulled back and scrunched his nose in disgust. ‘Okay, not quite the reaction I was goin’ for.’

‘What’ve you been eating?’

‘Vic made me taste something for her—’

‘The devil’s arse?’

Robert snorted a laugh before he could stop himself.

‘Glad someone’s enjoying themselves,’ Leyla said with a little smirk. When Pete nudged her, she immediately looked sorry for her words. ‘Sorry. Sorry, I didn’t mean—’

‘Think we’re all feelin’ the same to be honest,’ Pete said. He smiled at her. ‘Still, it’s for Vic so, don’t be too hard on her, eh?’

Robert nodded in gratitude (although he agreed with Leyla). Then he accidentally caught Paddy’s eye. The older man looked away quickly enough, but Robert had caught the loathing in his eyes nonetheless. He sighed and forced himself not to think about it. ‘Alright?’ Aaron asked. Robert nodded and went to kiss his boyfriend on the mouth, but remembered and redirected to his forehead at the last minute. Aaron grinned. ‘Get me a cracker or something?’ When Robert left his side, Paddy walked straight over to him. Aaron rolled his eyes. ‘Be more obvious why don’t you?’

‘What?’ Paddy said.

‘You know what. You haven’t even looked at Robert since you got here!’

‘He hasn’t looked at me either,’ Paddy stammered. ‘Besides, I just wanted to talk to you, to ask how you were.’

‘What, and you couldn’t ask me that when Robert was here? Or through all the times that you’ve been in the pub but never bothered to come over to our table?’ He sighed. ‘I don’t want this to be how it is forever, y’know? Can’t you just try to get along?’

Paddy looked away guiltily, and Aaron shook his head. ‘Forget it. Your idea of gettin’ along is not talking to him.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Paddy said.

Aaron sighed. ‘Yeah, me too. Look, just… can you make an effort please? Doesn’t have to be tonight, but sometime soon.’

‘Okay. For you, not for him,’ Paddy said.

The younger man nodded. ‘Fine.’ Maybe if he got them talking, they’d find something they had in common. At least this was Paddy extending the olive branch if nothing else. Robert was on his way back, so Paddy gave his son one last smile and turned to find Marlon. It couldn’t last forever, this stalemate. He’d find a way to get them talking.

‘Hey. What’s up?’ 

Aaron shook himself free of his maudlin thoughts and smiled at his boyfriend, who had returned with a plate of crackers and red pepper dip. ‘Nothing,’ he said.

‘I know when you’re lying, Aaron.’

‘Later, yeah? Just… let’s just enjoy tonight.’

But from the looks of things, Tracy was still the only one who was enjoying herself tonight. She was slightly less drunk than when the boys had arrived, but she still was very merry; it showed in her flushed face, her high-pitched giggles, and the way that once she started talking she wouldn’t shut up. Vic and Adam still hadn’t come out of the kitchen, conversation seemed to have dried up for everyone, and the food was running low. He looked at Aaron, about to say something, when he became distracted by his boyfriend licking dip from the tips of his fingers. He swallowed.

‘I know one way we can enjoy ourselves,’ he whispered. Aaron stopped chewing and gave him a look.

‘Behave,’ he said. ‘This is your sister’s movin’ out party.’

‘Yeah, it’s a blast, isn’t it?’ he said sarcastically. ‘My room is still here. We could… sneak out for a bit.’

‘No!’

‘C’mon, I’m _bored_!’

‘So you wanna have sex ‘cause you’re bored?!’

Robert shrugged. ‘That’s one of the reasons, isn’t it?’

Aaron breathed a laugh. He looked around. Everyone was either half asleep or trying to talk to each other. No one would actually miss them, would they? And they wouldn’t be _that_ long. He shook his head incredulously. Was he actually considering this? It was like something out of an American teenage movie. Robert stroked his fingers up and down his arm, and Aaron swallowed. Still… those movies were realistic, weren’t they? When it came to stuff like this? He nudged Robert and gestured upstairs. ‘Don’t let anyone see you!’ he hissed.

Robert immediately darted upstairs and Aaron was left blinking in stupefaction. Moments later, with one last look around the room, he followed his boyfriend upstairs. Robert grabbed his arm and opened the door to his old box room. He pulled Aaron into the room, both of them grinning wildly, and closed the door behind them.

****

It was fifteen minutes later that they opened the bedroom door again. Robert poked his head out first, then motioned for Aaron to follow him. They giggled again and kissed. ‘You were very masterful, Mr Dingle,’ Robert joked. 

‘Yeah, well, thought you needed rewarding for sneaking out like that,’ Aaron grinned. ‘Like bloody Usain Bolt!’ They kissed again. Then Adam and Vic’s bedroom door opened and they sprung apart guiltily.

Marlon and Carly exited the room, Marlon ducking as if doing that would ensure he wouldn’t be seen. He straightened when he saw Aaron and Robert. 

Aaron raised his eyebrow. ‘What were you two doing in there?’

Marlon cleared his throat and shuffled about awkwardly. ‘Nothing. We were just… I heard Vic say that there was…’

‘A bed?’ Robert said. 

The chef looked affronted, annoyed and defensive all at once. ‘Alright, well what were you two doin’ in _there_?’

‘Having sex,’ Robert answered. Aaron shook his head and rubbed his temples.

‘Right, well can we just pretend none of this happened?’ Carly implored. ‘I mean, it’s not like we do this all the time.’

‘I flamin’ hope not,’ Aaron said. ‘You’ve been ‘round at the pub; you’d better not have slept together in our bed.’

‘Shut up!’ Marlon hissed, though Carly chuckled. ‘Right, can we all just… never mention this again?’

‘Gladly,’ Robert and Aaron agreed. They were about to head back downstairs, when the bathroom door opened. ‘Oh, alright, Mum? We’re—Paddy?!’

The vet’s eyes widened and he attempted feebly to hide behind Chas.

‘What are you lot doin’ out here?’ he asked.

Robert smirked. ‘Oh no, you tell us what you were doin’ in there first.’

Paddy stuttered and stammered through an explanation about garlic dip and red wine, but Chas sighed. ‘We’re back together,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, love, but it never really came up.’ Robert giggled at the innuendo and she glared at him. ‘Grow up!’

‘You two are back together?’ Aaron said. ‘That’s great news!’

‘Really?’ Paddy said. ‘You—you don’t mind?’

‘No, I mean, yeah it’s a bit weird, and it’ll take gettin’ used to again, but… it’s great!’

Chas smiled softly at her son, and nudged Paddy as if to say _Told you he’d be fine with it_. Then she noticed Robert smirking again. ‘Go on then, say what you want to say.’

‘No, it’s just that bathroom is really small. Barely enough room to swing a cat, let alone a vet.’

Aaron elbowed him, though he couldn’t stop a small smirk. 

‘What the _hell_ is going on?!’

Everyone jumped out of their skin at Victoria’s furious yell. ‘Were you two doing it in my bathroom? How old are you? And how dare you sneak away from my party and do… that!’

‘Oi, what about these two?’ Chas yelped, pointing at her son and his boyfriend. ‘Goin’ at it like rabbits in his old room.’

‘You what?’ Vic turned her glare on her brother. ‘Seriously? I invite you guys to a party, and this is what you do?’

‘They did it in your room!’ Robert shouted, pointing at Marlon and Carly. ‘Vic, we just… got carried away! All the wine and everything, it just—’

‘I don’t want to hear it!’ she yelled. She stormed off downstairs, and Robert followed her, apologising the whole way down. ‘Apparently my dinner party just turned into an orgy,’ she told everyone else, who immediately looked interested. ‘This disgusting lot were upstairs having sex in any room they could find! Including my bedroom!’

Adam came out of the kitchen, oven mitts on his hands. ‘That’s bang out of order, that!’

‘This party is finally starting to liven up,’ Leyla muttered, though not quiet enough for Vic not to hear.

She took a step back, as if Leyla had slapped her. The older woman covered her mouth with her hand. ‘Victoria, I’m so sorry, I didn’t—’

‘What, didn’t mean for me to hear it?’ Vic yelled. ‘Is that what everyone thinks? That this party is boring? Is that why you lot went upstairs to have sex?’

No one answered her, but the silence was confirmation enough. She fled to the kitchen. Adam shook his head at all of them. ‘Party’s over,’ he said. ‘Go home.’ He followed his wife into the kitchen, and Robert and Aaron heard Adam’s hushed voice, interspersed with Victoria’s wobbling and upset yelling. 

Everyone started to file out of the house, but Leyla approached Robert and Aaron first. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said. ‘Tell her, won’t you?’ 

Aaron nodded, and Leyla allowed Pete to guide her out of the house. ‘I feel awful,’ he said.

‘So do I,’ Robert agreed. From the sounds of it, Adam still hadn’t managed to calm Vic down. ‘We owe her an apology, don’t we?’ he said. Without waiting for Aaron, he entered the kitchen. ‘Vic?’

‘Get out!’ she snapped.

Robert winced. ‘C’mon, sis, don’t be like that.’

‘Like what? Angry because everyone was probably talking behind my back about how boring my party was?’

‘Vic, no one was sayin’ that,’ Aaron said.

‘But they were all thinkin’ it, weren’t they? I just wanted one night! Just a night where we could have a good time, I could invite some people ‘round for some good conversation, and cook some nice food. But instead everyone’s gonna be talking about how crap tonight was.’

Robert put his arm around Vic’s shoulder and drew her close to him, not letting her go even when she struggled out of his hold. ‘No one’s gonna be talking about it like that,’ he said. ‘If anything, they’ll be talking about it ‘cause we were all caught upstairs havin’ sex like teenagers.’

Aaron grinned despite the situation. ‘Yeah, sorry about that by the way.’

Adam snorted. ‘Good think we’re movin’ soon, or we’d have to burn that bed. Night on the sofa tonight, Babe?’

Vic snuffled a little, and didn’t show any sign of smiling or forgiving anyone.

Robert kissed the top of her head. ‘Hey, how about you come back to the pub? Eh? We can bring some duvets downstairs, and all of us can have a sleepover. Like how we used to when we were kids.’

That at least got a curious look from his sister. ‘A sleepover?’ she said.

Adam smiled. ‘Sounds good to me. All that booze in the pub as well will come in handy. We can take this lamb with us. Have our own little party, eh?’

Robert smiled at his brother-in-law. ‘What d’you think?’

It took a moment more of considering it, but Victoria nodded. ‘Yeah, okay. Thanks.’

‘No worries.’ Robert kissed the top of Vic’s head again, then let go when Adam made to hug her. He looked over at a smiling Aaron. ‘You don’t mind, do you?’

‘Course not.’ He smiled and kissed Robert gently. ‘Good work calming her down,’ he whispered and nodded to Vic.

‘Thanks. I know Vic would never resist a sleepover.’ He smiled softly, lost in memories of Vic and him curling up on the sofa of their old house, Robert regaling her with stories of their Mum until his little sister drifted off to sleep. The party had been a bit of a bust, but to be honest, what they salvaged from it afterwards: the four of them sharing a few bottles of wine, passing around the lamb whilst they spoke and laughed in hushed whispers in the downstairs living area of the pub, was better than anything any of them could have planned.

**Author's Note:**

> Come have a nosy on tumblr!: [Port in a Storm](http://www.portinastorm.tumblr.com)


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